One Little Action
by Suzie1989
Summary: Just a little AU oneshot about the great Minerva McGonagall


So this is my first story in about 3 years, how time flies when you're working lol anyway I own nothing and I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

One little action set off a chain reaction…

For some reason that I didn't understand I was the only surviving member of my family, they say everything happens for a reason, that the gods have a plan for us all, that may be true but in my personal opinion one man ruined those plans with one decision. One action by a man, once a small boy named Tom Riddle, set off a series of actions that led to the death and destruction of many, including my husband Albus Dumbledore, our children and too many others to count.

From the very beginning he was drawn to the dark side of magic and when he chose to kill his first victim there was absolutely no coming back from that, his soul was lost forever. He had single-handedly started a new war with that one action, not that we realised it at the time of course, it was only when he began to assemble an army did I finally voice my thoughts to Albus, _"It's starting again, isn't it?" _We had somehow miraculously made it through the war with Grindewald and I had my doubts as to whether luck would be on our side once more, unfortunately time proved me right.

Albus replied, _"I believe it is my dear."_ I remember that day like it was yesterday, Albus and I were in our private quarters when the news of another murder reached us. Tom's - I simply refused to call him Lord Voldemort at this point - followers had killed an entire family of muggles and I just knew things were only going to get worse. And get worse they did right up until the day Voldemort disappeared.

Of course everybody knows the story of the boy-who-lived, Harry Potter, or at least they think they do. What people do not know is that Albus and I are Harry's great-grandparents. James Potter was our grandson, nobody knew any of this because of the trouble we foresaw with Grindewald we decided to give up our child for his own safety. It pained both of us but we didn't want him to become a target because we were his parents so from afar we watched the Potters raise Ewan as their own. And then we watched as he married and had James and once more we watched from a painful distance as James fell in love with Lily and had Harry. Unfortunately despite our efforts they all fell in the war and with every death more and more of me died, if it weren't for Albus I would have killed myself when Voldemort killed James and Lily and Harry had to go to his that dreaded family.

I understood, of course I did but understanding something does not necessarily make it any easier to deal with. Ewan and his wife, James and Lily had all laid down their lives for the greater good and Harry had to live with people who hated him instead of us. I had failed him, I had failed James, I had failed my son, my entire family and everybody else who was suffering. That was why I went up to the Astronomy Tower on the anniversary of James and Lily's deaths…I nearly jumped, I was standing on the edge, arms outstretched, ready to let the ground down below catch me when somebody wrapped their arm around my waist and pulled me back in. I turned around to see Albus, I was furious with him and therefore started beating his chest with my fists. I screeched, _"Why? Why did you not let me fall? Why did you bring me back in?"_

He allowed me to continue to pound him and didn't speak until I finally collapsed onto the floor sobbing. He sat down next to me _"Because I can't lose you as well, I need you… Harry needs you. In a few years he will be starting at Hogwarts and he will need both of us"_ I looked up ashamed, _"I'm sorry Albus, I just…I failed all of them, I failed you…"_ I started crying again and he held me close, _"Shhh, you haven't failed anybody, least of all me. If it wasn't for you I don't think I would have defeated Gellert. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have had the strength to fight Tom all these years. You, Minerva McGonagall Dumbledore, are the love of my life, you gave me a beautiful family and it is __**not**__ your fault that one man chose to kill many people including them. It is not your fault that we have had to lie to everybody. It is not your fault."_ He repeated those words over and over, _"it is not your fault"_ and continued to hold me for the rest of the night, we never moved from the Tower. Ironically Albus was the one who eventually died in the Tower, as well as a very large part of me.

* * *

"You may wonder why I am telling you all this now Miss Granger." It was not a question, I could see the curiosity burning in her eyes and she was clearly shocked by all that I had told her so far. I had no intentions of ever telling anybody what I have just told her but she had come to me and asked about my marriage to Albus and for some reason the truth finally spilled out.

Hermione spoke for the first time since I had started to reminisce about my life, "Of course, why me? Did you never think to tell Harry who you really are? Or James for that matter? I guess it does explain a lot about why you let us get away with so many of the things we did and why you cared for Harry so much, I mean I know you care for all your students but people really did think you favoured us. I honestly think you should be telling Harry this not me."

When she finally paused for breath I began to answer her questions. "There were many times when I came close to telling James that he was my grandson and many more with Harry. I always had a closer bond with Harry as Lily and I were close, of course she had no clue who I truly was, she just knew me as her old Transfiguration Professor with whom she remained friends and for that I was most thankful. She was also one of the few who knew about Albus and I." I laughed as I remembered the day she asked me if her conclusions were right.

* * *

It was Lily's final year at Hogwarts when she came to my office and point blank, completely out of nowhere, asked me these very words, _"Professor, are you and Professor Dumbledore dating?"_

Once I recovered from the shock I answered with the truth, _"No we are not dating." _I tried to make it sound as if were the most absurd thing in the world but unfortunately I was unable to fool her.

Lily didn't flinch as she then simply stated. _"Then you must be married."_

I felt my jaw drop, she gently patted my arm. _"Don't worry I wont tell anybody. I just had to know if my suspicions were true or not."_

"_How long have…?" _She cut me off, _"Since the Welcoming Feast in my first year. I saw how you looked at each other and my curiosity has been bothering me ever since."_ She flashed me her trademark bright smile and with that left me sitting alone in my office once more.

* * *

"She kept her word and didn't tell anybody, to this day I am convinced she didn't even tell James." I sat back in my seat feeling a little relieved I had let it out yet also hoping that this would be the end of it but clearly I had underestimated Hermione's enthusiasm to know everything about everything.

"But why wouldn't she tell him everything?"

"Because I asked her not too." I replied in my very best 'this is the end of the conversation and I would rather you didn't speak of this again' tone.

Although Hermione knew exactly what her professor's tone meant; she knew all of Minerva's tones, this was her favourite teacher she was talking to; her curiosity made her continue "But they were married, they had Harry. Even if she once agreed not to say anything I don't understand how she could keep that from him for so long."

Sighing I stood up and walked round to the front of the desk, resting gently against it. "Miss Granger, all she knew was that Albus and I were married. She never knew as much as you do now so she never had any reason to tell James but like Lily I really do hope that you will not repeat to anyone what I have told you in the utmost confidence."

Hermione didn't understand why Minerva didn't want anybody to know the truth. Surely now that the war was over, now that Voldemort was truly gone, now that people were clearing up the remains of their lives, she could tell Harry and they could also attempt to salvage something from the wreckage. "Professor, I'm afraid I still don't know why you don't want to tell anybody?"

"Because some things are better left unsaid, especially after so many years of silence. Not to mention who is to say Harry would even want anything to do with me." The moment I said it I regretted it, never before had I uttered such personal feelings to a student, albeit a former student.

I watched as Hermione just sat there clearly unsure of how to reply to something so revealing. After a few minutes of silence she decided perhaps it was time to leave, only pausing when she reached the door she turned back looked me straight in the eye and said "Professor, I wont say anything but I do think its about time you did. Don't underestimate Harry's ability to forgive the people he cares about and I know he already cares about you, why else would he have revealed himself to Amycus Carrow in the Ravenclaw Tower."

With that Hermione turned on her heel and left the office leaving me alone and utterly speechless.


End file.
